The first driving lesson is the most anticipated one of all and sometimes the most stressful for some. You can go through several different emotions because it’s an experience you’ve never had before! Let’s delve into this emotional roller-coaster!

---

The Excitement

 

You’ve waited a long time for this. You’ve had it with being chauffeured around by your parents, you want independence, you want a car. You’ve booked the first lesson and the beginning of something beautiful excites you. You just can’t shake the mental image of you cruising in your own car with the wind in your hair and your favourite tunes playing.

The Realisation

Whilst you’re getting ready for your lesson, it suddenly sinks in and you can’t help but wonder whether you are really going to be allowed behind the wheel of a car? YOU - controlling a big metal box on wheels amongst the other big metal boxes? Are you sure?! It almost seems surreal that you will actually be driving, and that feeling can excite some or completely freak them out. But remember, you got this!

The Fear

Sometimes our nerves can get the better of us when it comes to dealing with new situations. Your thoughts may run wild. “What if I crash? What if I damage the instructor’s car? What if when I turn the steering wheel wrong and it falls off?”, the worries are endless, but once you get in the driver’s seat, with the help of your instructor, those thoughts should vanish pretty swiftly!

The Explanations

You get into the car and your driving instructor is explaining about a bunch of stuff and to be honest, you are just wishing it would end, because you’re itching to just get on with it.

The First Stall

Your fear soon transforms into anger by the introduction of clutch control. Your worries about the rest of the road disappear because you find it hard to comprehend how you’ll ever get past the dreaded stalling phase. You wonder if you really need to drive and if using public transport for the rest of your life is a better alternative. You also make a note to yourself to Google when those self-driving cars are coming out.

The Surge of Confidence

After some failed attempts, and slowing down because you thought every car on the other side of the road was going to crash into you, low and behold, you are driving! Like a normal person! This is amazing! You rejoice in the fact that you’ll never have to ask mum or dad for a lift again. Maybe you’ll take all your friends on a road trip, maybe you’ll just drive all the way to a France one day! The possibilities are endless because you can drive. Winner!

King of the Road

You’re on the drive back home and you feel like you can take on the world. The lesson wasn’t as bad as you had anticipated and you’re already excited for the next one. It’s just you, your pal (also known as the driving instructor) and the open road. It almost feels normal!

---

Learning to drive can be a bit of a bumpy ride, and the main thing to understand is that it may not always be a walk in the park for everyone. All it takes is a lot of practice. Nobody expects you to become an expert right away and that’s what the driving instructors are trained for. Did you know that you’re more likely to pass your test if you combine your driving lessons with private practice? We’ve got the stats and everything you need to know about getting the most out of it, right here.